Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, who made an appearance at Gillette Stadium on Saturday to announce a partnership with Monster Energy Supercross, tried to evade nine questions regarding his football future during a 10-minute news conference on the other side of the hallway from the Patriots locker room.

But after Gronk accidentally let something slip and The Athletic uncovered a new development in his decision to bypass the start of the voluntary offseason workout program, more signs continue to point toward a return to the field in the 2018 season.

First, Gronkowski jovially stiff-armed the initial four questions about his status for the 2018 season before he was asked if he had a message to the fan base that wants to know his fate. That one seemed to hit him a little more seriously, at least for a moment.

“They’re going to see a freak-a-leek when I come back,” Gronk responded. “That’s...

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